It's Father's Day on June 15th, and I've been thinking about the influence fathers have had on me when it comes to gardening.  My Dad sowed the seeds of my lifelong interest in gardening when he showed me how simple it was to root geranium cuttings on a windowsill when I was still a teenager.  Later, my father-in-law and I would stroll around his garden noting how things were growing, what had to be pruned or moved, what new plants could be added.  Much later while researching my family tree, I discovered my male ancestors on my Dad's side all listed "gardener" as their occupation on their quaint English marriage certificates.

So honouring our "gardening" Dads on Father's Day, June 15th, just seems natural to me.  If you're lucky enough to still have your Dad with you, spend a little time with him in a garden this month.  It's probably the best gift you could give.

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President

Succulents are the hot new plants in gardening circles these days – and for good reason. Used outdoors, succulents offer dazzling possibilities for garden design and require only minimal maintenance to remain lush and alluring year round. Potted up indoors, succulents bring easy-care “green” into your living and working environments. In either location, their fascinating texture and shape adds interest, and best of all they require virtually no pruning or deadheading!

Adapted to windy, mountainous or desert conditions, succulents are the camels of the plant world. By conserving water in their thick, fleshy leaves and plump stems, they can survive the driest of conditions.

Succulents grow best in well-drained soil – a cactus mix is ideal. Don’t over-water, and never let potted plants sit in water. Always let the soil dry out well between waterings.

Right now, we have a good selection of these fascinating plants. They look terrific in containers where they can be planted quite close together for a rich textured effect.

For more information, see http://www.thegardenpages.com/page2.html

You know Dig This is the place to go for quality tools, and until June 15th you can get quality and save!

Buy any tool, and get the second tool of equal or lesser value, at 25% off.

Here's a great idea for Dad - an outdoor Patio Fire!  Available in copper or matte black, these patio fires connect to propane to provide a warming fire on cool evenings outdoors.  Just what we need given the cool spring weather we're having!  Available for natural gas connections too.

All of us at Dig This have noticed just how much men love gadgets for measuring the weather:  thermometers, barometers, and rain gauges.  These make a great Father's Day gift.  The Conant Brass line of weather gauges, pictured here, is made in the USA and is as beautiful as it is practical. 

However, if you and your Dad run more to whimsy than practicality, give him a Weather Stick.  We don't know why, but they really do work to predict the weater!

Just because it's cool, doesn't mean we don't need to water our gardens.  Have a close look, and you'll find many parts of your garden are quite dry, especially under trees or other leafy plants.

After years of dealing with less-than-great watering tools, we've selected Dramm products as the ones we feature.  They come with a life-time warranty and are extremely well-made and durable.  Better yet, they come in bright colours that make them easy to find, should you leave them in the garden!

Hint:  One of the 9-pattern spray nozzles makes a great Father's Day gift!

For information on watering restrictions in the Capital Region, go to: http://www.crd.bc.ca/water/conservation/outdoorwateruse/bylaw.htm

We know, we know!  We've barely experienced summer yet, and now you're telling me it's time to think about winter?

Yes.

With our mild coastal climate, we can grow many vegetables year round, if we plan ahead. According to the West Coast Seed catalogue - which, by the way, is one of the best free resources on vegetable growing in our climate - now is the time to start planning your winter vegetable garden. 

Right now you can plant leeks, brussels sprouts, winter cabbages, and sprouting broccoli.  Keep seeding lettuce, mesclun, arugula, kale, scallions, parsnips,  peas, spinach and chard.

If you're looking for more information on growing vegetables all year long, pick up a copy of Linda Gilkeson's "Year-Around Harvest: Winter Gardening on the Coast."

A little effort this month and next will ensure you're harvesting fresh greens right through to next spring.

Virginia Parkhurst, Owner, Dig This Broadmead

Ideal for a meal or a game of cards, this stylish teak and resin dining set makes an inviting statement on your deck or patio. Aluminum frames add strength and durability to all pieces, and both the tabletop and armrests offer the warmth of teak. Comfortably accommodates a party of four. Chairs are stackable, making off-season storage a breeze. The table 39½”square - perfect for smaller patios and decks.

We have a limited supply.  $995 for five pieces.  And don't forget, local delivery is free.

And there's nothing better than a hammock, when it comes to relaxing!  Our hammocks are Canadian-made from dacron, which is so soft to lie on.  The special double knotting used, ensures the rope doesn't rub on the spreaders and wear through like less expensive hammocks are prone to do.  A hammock is a great place to read ... or snooze!

June is the month for roses, and with roses unfortunately comes black spot and powdery mildew. Remove and put into the garbage (not the compost) all diseased leaves and then spray with 1 tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp soap flakes mixed in one litre of water. Make sure you spray the underside of the leaves too for best results.

Keep deadheading spent blooms and sheer back oriental poppies, hardy geraniums, centura montana, alchemilla, euphorbias that have finished blooming.

Prune back the long, wispy stems of wisteria, leaving about 5 buds on each lateral stem.

Feed tomatoes, peppers and eggplants with liquid seaweed.

Continue sowing beans, corn, squash, carrots, peas, spinach, lettuce and greens, and beets.

Remove the seedheads of hard-neck garlic so the plant will put all of its energy into the bulb. These tender tops make great additions to stir fries!

And don't forget to plant for a winter and early spring harvest!

10th Annual Gabriola Island Home & Garden Tour, Gabriola Island, BC
Sunday, June 29, 2008     10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Self guided tour of unique island homes and gardens.
Ticket Price: $20
Tickets available after June 1st at Dig This in Nanaimo.
Contact: Diana at 250-247-9092 or dmumford@shaw.ca
Web: www.gabriolatour.islandbrowser.com 
 

61st Annual Flower and Garden Show for the communities of Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake and Cobble Hill.  In addition to the most ambitious Flower Show ever - almost 50 categories - there are over 20 vendors from the local gardening community.  Cobble Hill Hall on June 14, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m
 

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia has come up with a new vacation idea: Farm Conservation Holidays.

As a society, we are becoming increasingly disconnected from the farms that supply us with our basic means for survival: food. This year TLC is partnering with a number of local farms in the Vancouver Island area to help urban dwellers connect with their food and the people growing it.

For more information or to book your farm conservation holiday, please visit www.conservationholidays.ca  or call 1-888-738-0533.
 

We love to get responses to our newsletters, and our article on deer prompted a few!  Here's some tips from a Kootenay gardener.

Dear Dig This

This was a really great issue of "Dig This"! I always enyoy reading about trying to fool the deer, as we have many in our area. You are SO right about plants that deer supposedly don't like, or that repel deer (or elk, which we also have). I have used a home made remedy with some success:

 4 eggs without shells, mixed in 4 litres of water, and squirted on plants from a recycled dish detergent bottle. This needs to be re-applied after a rain.

 Another recipee I just received through our Castlegar Garden Club is as follows:

• 2 beaten eggs (use a blender or strain them to remove the white strings surrounding the yolk, which would plug your sprayer)
• 1 cup milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or sour milk.
• 2 tsps Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper (not essential)
• 20 drops essential oil of clove, cinnamon, or eucalyptus (found in small bottles in health food stores.
• 1 tsp horticultural oil, cooking oil, or dormant oil
• 1 tsp liquid dish soap
 Mix ingredients in a 1 gallon tank sprayer. Fill the tank with water and pump it up. Shake the sprayer occasionally and mist onto dry foliage. One application will last for 2 to 4 weeks in dry weather. Be sure to clean the sprayer after each use to prevent clogging.

You could also apply this by squirting, as in the egg and water method above.

The deer and elk get increasingly bolder and craftier, and our solution at home is in building an eight foot high fence to surround our whole yard. It's almost finished and I will have tulips this year!

Sandra, Robson, B.C.